Search form

Previous 2/208'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎44r] (96/208)

97/208 Next'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎45r] (98/208)

View all items

Previous 2/208'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎44r] (96/208)

97/208 Next'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎45r] (98/208)

Transcription

50 Quoi qn'il en soit, j'esp^re que les explications que je viens d'avoir I'lioiineur de vous fournir pouiTont vous paraitre satisfaisants. Je persiste a reclamer Selim-bin-Seif et les hommes d'equipage qui sont actuellement emprisonnes a I'autorite locale. Je fais de nouveau mer reserves au sujet de la suite de cette affaire. Veuillez, &c. (Signe) P. LARONCE. Inclosure 6 in No. 1. Brigadier- General Raikes to M. Laronce. Sir, Zanzibar, June 12, 1898. I AM in receipt of your despatch dated the 11th June, and I acknowledge, with many thanks, your reasons for claiming Salim-bin-Seif as a French protege; but as regards his being born in Comoro, he himself says he was; but I have heard from other Pemba Arabs that he was born in Pemba. But this matters little, as at the time of his birth, which he says was about forty-five years ago, the French had not annexed the island, and therefore it can make very little material difference. As regards his having bought the dhow " 8elamti" at Mayotte and himself being registered there, it seems a mistake, as he himself says the " Selamti" never belonged to him, but > to SaHm-bin-Ali, and that he was captain or sailor in her for four years; but as to that being true, it would hardly make Salim-bin-Seif a French protege, as, I believe, it has been decided in London before, that buying a house in Comoro does not allow the buyer to claim French protection, therefore, I suppose, likewise a dhow, also before the time of annexation; but this is immaterial, as Salim-bin-Seif says he never did own the " Selamti." I have referred your letters to Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-Gen era!, and he concurs with me that as yet there are no grounds for handing Salim-bin-Seif over to yonr Court. As regards the case of the f< Majunga " last year, I believe it was not liberated on account of nationality, but as Mr. Farler could not clearly prove his case as to the shipment ot slaves, the matter was allowed to drop and the dhow liberated, and I don't think Salim was produced in your Court for slave-dealing, the case not being continued with: therefore I do not think Sir Lloyd Mathews had any correspondence as regards the nationality of Salim-bin-Seif. 1 have no wish to keep Salim-bin-Seif after you have fully satisfied myself and Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General with regard to his nationality to our satisfaction, I have, &c. (Signed) A. E. RAIKES, Acting Prime Minister. Inclosure 7 in No. 1. Judgment on Salim-hin- Seif. SALIM-BIN-SEIF, you have claimed French protection, but as you have not proved your self such to my satisfaction, about which I will give my reasons later, I have proceeded with the case of slave-dealing against you, and am now going to pronounce judgment. The evidence ot all the slaves (seven) you have heard, and also of Nahotha Bakari and the two Askaris, and also of Nasoro-bin-Ali. Their evidence all more or less coincides. They (the slaves) say they were caught by Mwambieni and Mwabruki, acting Nahotha for you, taken to the beach at Kinzu, and shipped in a small dhow and taken and landed at Ndunne in a (i dug-out" with Mwambieni, where they met you, and were taken into some mangroves by you; later they saw Nahotha Bakari, who told them they were going: to be shipped, and had better run away. Then they say Askaris came and caught them, and that you were there; that the Askaris pointed their rifles at you, and you said, " Don't shoot me, I am Salirn," and than you went away. Some of the slaves say they know you well. Then the evidence of the Askaris is that they were sent for, as some slaves were going to be shipped; they, and also a witness named Athman, hid in the bushes, saw and heard you hail a "dug-out," and the men in the "dug-out" hailed back; you then beckoned to the slaves to follow you, when they (the Askaris) jumped at and caught the slaves. Pointing their rifles at you, you said, "Don't shoot me, I am Salim." Their reason for not arresting you was, that they both knew you well, and could catch you any time, and had plenty of witnesses, and were doubtful whether they had the right, owing to having heard in the island that you were a French protege; also, they all have recognized the dhow as yours. Nasoro-bin-Ali's evidence, as to your former character, was, he said, that many people—in fact, every one in Pemba—knew you as a slave-dealer; Nahotha Bakari also says he heard you bargaining as to a number of slaves with Nasoro-bin-Rashid. Therefore, on this evidence, which you have heard. Sheikh Barhan, Government Kathi, and myself, have gone into it, and have found you guilty of slave-dealing, in that you have been caught in the act of trying to ship slaves, and none of them belonging to you; therefore we sentence you to one year's rigorous imprisonment. Now, as regards your being a French protege, you say you were born in Comoro about forty-live years ago, that you have no property there and never had, and your reason for being a French protege is, you say, because you have dhows carrying the French flag, which you

About this item

Content

This file consists of a number of printed reports relating to the arbitration over the granting of French flags to Muscat dhows:

A printed report in 1904 by the Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India, relating to the arbitration on the issue of French flags to Omani dhows. An agreement between Britain and France in 1862 committed both governments to respect the independence of the Sultan of Muscat.

Reply on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty to the Supplementary Conclusions, presented on behalf of the Government of the French Republic and admitted by the tribunal on July 25, 1905.

The verdict (in French) of the arbitration tribunal.

Treaty Series (No. 3, 1905) - Agreements between the United Kingdom and France referring to arbitration the question of the grant of the French flag to Muscat Dhows.

Description: The foliation sequence commences at the title page and terminates at the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the
recto
The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Foliation errors: 1, and 1A; 50, and 50A; 59, and 59A; 84, and 84A-C; 88, and 88A; 91, and 91A. Pagination: A number of original typed pagination sequences are also located in the file.

Use and share this item

'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎44v] (97/208),British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers,IOR/R/15/1/406,in Qatar Digital Library<https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100024085266.0x000062>[accessed 21 January 2019]

Link to this item

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100024085266.0x000062

Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100024085266.0x000062">'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [&lrm;44v] (97/208)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100024085266.0x000062">
<img src="https://images.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000193.0x00017b/IOR_R_15_1_406_0097.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>